The Courtship of Lady Kagome
by Meara
Summary: When faced with the sudden prospect of a forced mating to the ugliest demoness in Japan, Sesshomaru is certain he can entice Kagome into doing his bidding. After all, Shikon no Miko or not, how hard could it possibly be to keep one, ningen female in hand?
1. Chapter 1

**Standard Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters to which valid copyright law apply. They are used here without permission for entertainment purposes only, not for monetary gain.**

One of the misconceptions about Sesshomaru and his ilk (including Inuyasha, whether Sesshomaru cares to admit it or not) is the meaning of the word "youkai." Youkai are not demons in the western sense of the word. They are not messengers of hell determined to bring about the ruin of human souls. The Japanese word "youkai" translates more precisely to mean a creature of magic, much in the same way we think of elves or trolls. Youkai can be good or evil it's up to them, not predestined by their nature. My own particular view is that because youkai have animal forms, they retain much of their primal instincts and ferocity, even when they walk on two feet.

Many and gracious thanks go out to ElegantPaws for looking over this chapter for me. If you haven't taken the time to read her "This Sesshomaru Needs Not a Mate," then you're missing a treat!

This is Sesshomaru/Kagome story is rated "M" for bad language, the occasional sexual innuendo and possible, future lemon. Please remember that writers only grow through feedback so, if you would kindly leave a review, I'd be very grateful. I can also be contacted at All mail is answered, even flames!

"The Courtship of Lady Kagome"

By Meara

Chapter One – State Your Intentions

Sesshomaru was everything a Taiyoukai should be. He moved with a breathtaking grace and elegance that no mortal could ever hope to match. You could only stare at him (from a safe distance since it was well known that he was also an easily annoyed Taiyoukai) and wonder why a being whose named meant "The Killing Perfection" could look so much like an angel.

As an adolescent, Sesshomaru had spent a great deal of time mastering the art of appearing unapproachable. Like everything else he'd set his mind to, Sesshomaru had accomplished it with ease. In less than a decade the look he gave you, (when he deigned to recognize your existence at all) implied that he ate human babies for breakfast, lesser youkai for lunch and those who managed to piss him off as an in-between meal snack. Sesshomaru's family motto was in a language called "Latin" that his father, the late and universally dreaded Inu no Taisho, had learned from some holy men from the western world. It summed up the White Prince of the West's view on life quite succinctly. "Se no Incommodes Perdies;" translated the phrase meant, "Annoy me and perish."

There were many things that endlessly fascinated Sesshomaru. One was the art of achieving the ever elusive, perfect haiku. Another more intellectual challenge was solving complex puzzles. His true passion, however, was reserved for the acquisition of power, since he had long ago pledged himself to the path of supreme conquest. The Lord of the Western Lands, however, was selective about the kind of power he sought.

Not for him were items like the Shikon no Tama or any other magical bauble. A Taiyoukai of his reputation and mystic prowess tended to go for larger-than-life tools suited to the art of warfare. Sesshomaru had a preference for outrageously large swords with names that meant things such as "painful, messy destruction" and the like.

That endless need is what initially drove him to try, on a regular basis, to take the great sword tetsusaiga from his hanyou half-brother, Inuyasha. Once the sword had been broken and re-forged with one of Inuyasha's fangs, Sesshomaru immediately considered it inferior and promptly lost interest in obtaining it. In fact he was quite prepared to ignore his bastard sibling for the next few centuries had he not witnessed a display of the one thing he found most fascinating of all, power, from a most unlikely source, the human Miko who traveled with Inuyasha.

Shortly after Inuyasha's group had finally destroyed Naraku (an annoying hanyou whose demise had been on Sesshomaru's short list of things-to-do) he came across his brother's odd group in the middle of a battle. Never one to miss an opportunity to see Inuyasha get thrashed due to his lack of discipline, the Lord of the West settled himself comfortably in the boughs of an old tree, well out of sight.

They were fighting one of the late Naraku's detachments, his so-called son, Byakuya. The creature seemed intent on two things. The first was to gain revenge for his "father," Naraku, having being sent screaming to hell. The second was to make long winded, pointless speeches that were dangerous only if he intended to bore his enemies to death.

It was an unremarkable fight, at first glance. Byakuya had brought a small horde of lesser youkai with him that the Demon Slayer and the Monk, along with the transformed fire-neko, were making short work of. The Miko was off to one side, in back of Inuyasha. She was calmly using her arrows, aglow with her power as the protector of the Shikon no Tama, to pick off various youkai who were unfortunate enough to draw her attention. Sesshomaru's half-brother, finally tiring of ripping up the forest with various attacks from tetsusaiga, was about to finish Byakuya off when something remarkable finally happened.

Without warning, Byakuya bounded over Inuyasha and headed straight for the Miko. In the blink of an eye he had her on the ground while he straddled her. One hand snaked up her body to grab for the shards of the almost completed Shikon no Tama from around her neck. The other hand, rather impulsively, slipped under her clothing in a crude attempt to cop a quick feel.

"What a delight to the touch you are, wench," Naraku's detachment said with a wicked smile. "I think I will not kill you, after all. Becoming my sex toy would be a much better fate for you."

Those whispered words (and grabbing a hold of the Miko's breast) were Byakuya's greatest, albeit last, mistakes of his misbegotten life. Giving a shriek of pure outrage, the young woman was suddenly engulfed in iridescent light. The unwelcome visitor was lifted off her body and suspended in mid-air, quite unable to move.

"Keep your freaking hands to yourself!" she snarled, carefully enunciating each word.

With out a moment's hesitation, Kagome purified Byakuya's ass (and the rest of him, for that matter) straight to hell. It probably wasn't the reunion Byakuya had planned on, but at least now he'd get to keep his father company in what ever toasty corner of the underworld Naraku was currently occupying. Kagome watched with grim satisfaction as the ash that had been the demon son of the evil hanyou gently blew away on the afternoon breeze.

Needless to say, this caught the Taiyoukai's attention. He then did something he very rarely allowed himself to do; smile. The Miko, (he struggled to remember her name… Kimi, Kinki, Keiko…Oh yes, Kagome!) Kagome, had power. It was raw, untamed power to be sure, but that didn't stop Sesshomaru from being fascinated by it. Kagome was not simply a puzzle, but a complex puzzle. Sesshomaru was hooked.

The White Prince of the West was unsure how he could turn her power to his advantage. Even so, Sesshomaru was certain his clever and obviously superior Taiyoukai intellect would eventually come up with an appropriate solution. It was just a matter of time and persistence.

That day marked the beginning of an obsession for the Lord of the Western Lands. Sesshomaru was careful to keep close tabs on the movements of Inuyasha and Kagome. He found himself actually looking forward to days when they were close to his domain. After instructing Jaken to care for Rin (in a voice that implied that failure would mean a fairly quick but excessively painful death), Sesshomaru would bound off to secretly observe the Miko as long as he could.

One of Sesshomaru's character flaws was that he was patently unable to let something go once he'd made up his mind to have it. All Sesshomaru knew and cared about was that Kagome was the most powerful female he'd ever come across. It didn't matter to him that said female was human (a species he usually went out of his way to avoid contact with, since those encounters tended to end in bloodshed). It didn't matter that his half-wit, half-brother was so strongly attached to the young woman. Sesshomaru's ego would never let him seriously view Inuyasha as a threat.

The White Prince of the West seemed totally oblivious to the idea that stalking Kagome in this fashion could only lead to disaster. When it finally did nibble at the corners of his tidy (and superior, of course) mind, he quickly brushed any qualms aside. He was, after all, the Taiyoukai Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands and what he wanted he got. Come what may, Sesshomaru was unswervingly determined to see this thing through to the end and find a way to use the Miko to his advantage.

If Sesshomaru had been a tad less stubborn, he might have avoided the fate that was about to befall him. Then again, the Lord of the Western Lands was not only intractable but vain and incredibly prideful of his own superiority. One of the lessons that he had failed to learn as a pup was that the Powers-That-Be really enjoy taking down those who have put themselves up on a pedestal. All of the bad karma Sesshomaru had managed to accumulate over the centuries of his life was about to take its toll. The Lord of the Western Lands was about to find that, appropriately enough for an Inu-youkai, payback was indeed a bitch.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

Kenji, Taiyouki of the Southern Lands was a formidable demon. He'd been the Lord of the South for almost four centuries, ruling with a fair hand. "Fair" was a subjective term during the era of warring states. In this case, it meant that he was perfectly willing to lop off the head from any miscreant, whether youkai or human, once he judged them worthy of the action. Kenji was also known as a Prince who demanded order in those he ruled as well as those who were in his service. Oddly enough, the one place the Taiyoukai got very little order and peace these days was at home.

Kenji was a tiger youkai. In his true form he was swift, relentless and deadly. He and his Mate of one hundred and fifty years, Sakura had three, healthy cubs. By and large she and Kenji were well suited to each other. Just like the Lord of the Southern Lands, Sakura could also be relentless; although that was not the word that first came to Kenji's mind these days. Recalcitrant, stubborn and a pain-in-the-tail were more accurate but the Prince had not survived all this time by being stupid so, wisely, he kept his thoughts to himself.

"Miyuki is still unmated," Sakura said. She walked half a step behind her Lord, as was proper, and kept her eyes demurely downcast.

The tiger Youkai bit back the annoyed sigh that threatened to slip from his lips. "Indeed. That may be why I see her at meals three times a day. Little things such as that tend to reinforce the point that she's still living with us."

"She needs a Mate," Sakura said evenly.

"I know that. Perhaps at the autumnal gathering of the Youkai Council she'll meet someone she likes," Kenji suggested through clenched teeth. He and his Mate had been having this conversation much too often as of late.

A sly smile crept across the feline features of the Lady of the South. "Actually, I believe that she need not wait that long. It has come to my attention that you and the late Inu no Taisho, of revered memory, arranged to have an unattached son of the West take a daughter of the South to Mate."

That stopped Kenji dead in his feline tracks. "I recall no such agreement and I certainly never signed any accord such as that. When did this 'agreement' happen?"

"The year Sesshomaru was born, as I recall," Sakura said smoothly. "It was during one of the numerous toasts you and the revered Inu no Taisho raised to his new heir. You must be aware that Sesshomaru has yet to take a Mate. It's the talk of the Youkai courts across the Four Lands. It would make his father very happy to unite our two, great houses."

"Ah…"

The Lord of the Southern Lands and the Inu no Taisho had been good friends who considered themselves to be Taiyoukai of discriminating tastes, especially when it came to sake. They would spend whole evenings (and occasionally the next day as well) taste-testing the new shipments of their favorite beverage that came in during the spring and fall. Any festive occasion gave them the excuse to test out the latest acquisition from his sake cellar. Kenji had the uneasy feeling that this so-called "arrangement" (of which he had absolutely no memory) had been brought up during one of those marathon sessions. Hell, he could have stripped naked, climbed on top of the roof and set fire to his own tail and not remembered that, either.

Giving a short cough, the Taiyoukai continued on his way, his determined Mate a step behind him. "It hardly seems fair to hold the Lord of the West to a suggestion made in a moment of celebration by his father and me. Besides, Sesshomaru is known to be discreet. He may be courting a demoness and we simply have not heard of it."

"If that is true, then it would be the height of bad taste to try and force our beautiful and accomplished child on him," Sakura agreed.

A cold shiver ran up the tiger Youkai's spine. Sakura had agreed with him a bit too fast for his comfort. Kenji's worst fears were realized by his Mate's next words.

"It would be very prudent, then, to pay the Lord of the West a visit in order to settle this matter" she said. "I shall instruct the servants to begin packing at once."

The feline Lord turned to watch his Mate move down the hall. He gave a resigned shrug of his shoulders and continued on his way to his study. He had long ago learned not to get in the way of Sakura's plans. She was a good person, at heart, if a bit too ambitious when it came to their cubs. Besides, Kenji thought as he slid close the door behind him, it had been far too long since he'd paid a visit to the excellent sake cellar at the House of the Moon. Cheered by this prospect, he turned his mind to the affairs of state that awaited him.

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

In the three and a half years Kagome had been working to find and reunite the scattered shards of the Shikon no Tama, she'd discovered a few enduring truths. One was that hot springs weren't nearly as numerous and conveniently placed as people liked to think they were. Another was that a steady diet of ramen noodles was not the way to stay healthy. The greatest truth, though, was that whenever attempting to take a bath in any place other than a locked room, having a half ton, fully transformed fire-youkai nearby was a great way to ensure some privacy.

Kagome sighed with content. Sango, sitting right beside her, did so as well. They were three days out from Kaede's village and after a long, warm, dusty day on the road, the small pond they'd found was just perfect for a cool bath. There was a large, old willow tree hanging over the water, gnarled roots making perfect if impromptu seat-backs for the two young women. Kirara lay in the shade of the willow, head down and eyes closed.

"Don't get me wrong, Kagome-chan, I want you to stay but I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't remind you that you'd be giving up a lot," Sango said. The water covered both of them to the top of their bare breasts and was just the right temperature to lounge in.

Kagome smiled warmly at the young woman she considered a sister, "I've given this a lot of thought, Sango-oneechan. Yes, I'll miss some things about the future; like air conditioners, indoor plumbing and cable-TV. Those things are nice but there's this voice inside me that says my home and my destiny are here, in this time. Besides, we don't know that the well will close up after I complete the Shikon no Tama. I still may be able to commute back and forth for visits."

Sango slid a little deeper into the water, letting it come halfway up her neck. "Destiny… Does that destiny include Inuyasha?"

"Yes," Kagome replied, "but not the way you think. I love him the same way I love you and Miroku. You're more than just my friends. You've become family to me. Inuyasha loves me deeply, I know that, but it's not a romantic love."

"Kagome, what changed? It was plain to everyone that you loved him, as you put it, in a 'romantic' way."

"I did love him like that, once. The problem is that Inuyasha can't decide if he wants me or Kikyo. He may have a century or two to figure it all out but I don't. Besides," Kagome rolled her eyes, "he has his undead, ex-girl-friend following him all over Japan screaming that she hates his hanyou guts and wants to drag him to hell with her. Oddly enough, that's soured Inuyasha on romance right now."

Immersed in both the water and the conversation, neither noticed the wind when it picked up. It swirled in a circle, around the small pond. The breeze made Kirara's ears suddenly perk up. The big neko youkai opened her eyes and looked around, giving a soft growl. Raising her head slightly, she tried to get a decent scent from the meandering wind.

"Kirara," Sango asked, moving to grab a towel left on the nearby grass, "what's wrong? If it's Miroku I swear I will hit him so hard that those children he keeps asking me to bear him will feel it!"

Above them in the old willow, Sesshomaru silently cursed the fire-cat. He'd mastered the art of hiding in plain sight from both humans and youkai decades ago. In this case it meant sitting on a thick branch, literally not moving a muscle. That took a great deal of concentration. Masking his aura was the easy part. Unfortunately, there was only so much he could do about his scent, particularly at close range.

If only the wind hadn't shifted, that damned fire-cat would never have known he was here, Sesshomaru fumed silently.

Kagome also rose from the water and wrapped a towel around her giving Sesshomaru a brief, albeit excellent, view of her physical attributes. She was far from unpleasant to look at, Sesshomaru decided. Lush, round breasts, long toned legs, a tapered waist and gently rounded hips showed that Kagome was no longer a girl. She was a woman.

The Lord of the West momentarily found himself envious of the small scrap of terrycloth that Kagome had draped over her body. It was hard enough to stay motionless in the tree without having to deal with his sudden and very intense sexual attraction to the unclothed female. Sesshomaru was also glad that his white, silk pants loose enough to accommodate his body's reaction to the aforementioned naked Miko.

People liked to believe that Sesshomaru despised all humans. That wasn't entirely accurate but since the rumor was usually quite helpful in his dealings with mankind, he didn't bother to correct it. After all, both youkai and human male and females were anatomically similar (hence his bastard of a half-brother, Sesshomaru mused). What the Lord of the West truly loathed was weakness.

Humans of the feudal era were, in his opinion, just that. Used to being harassed, thrashed and occasionally eaten by large, hulking and deadly youkai, they rarely put up much of a fight. Annoyingly enough, Sesshomaru found that the normal reaction to his presence was for humans to scream and in some cases, faint dead away before he had even touched them. The sad truth was that most of the humans he came across were barely able to grasp the concept of personal hygiene, never mind the art of self-defense. That was the real cause of Sesshomaru's distain for them.

The Miko below him was clean. In fact, her daily bathing seemed to drive his half-brother to distraction, making it even more appealing for the Taiyoukai. She held the mystic might of the Shikon no Tama so strongly in her lovely body that he swore he could almost smell it. For Sesshomaru, the combination was a powerful aphrodisiac.

That, perhaps, was why he was paying less attention to the willow tree he crouched in and more on the woman below it. It may also be why he failed to notice the very light cracking sound the branch gave off just before it broke away from the tree. Happily, he was able to leap free but ended up landing (gracefully as always) in front of Kagome and Sango, both of whom were only wearing towels.

"Hentai!" they shrieked in unison.

The shrieks were more of outrage than fear, Sesshomaru noted in the one corner of his mind that wasn't completely appalled by his current situation. That did not stop them from reaching for their weapons, however. Sango had her katana in hand in the span of a heartbeat. Kagome grabbed her sturdy bow, notched an arrow in it and had it pointed at the Taiyoukai just as quickly. Unfortunately for the Miko, the act of getting a good draw on the bowstring caused her towel to come loose, fall away from her body and then drop to the ground.

"Stop staring at me you pervert!" Kagome's scream ran up several octaves in horror at her predicament. She stood there for a long moment, unsure if she should grab the towel or shoot at Sesshomaru. Taking the middle road, Kagome scooted behind a now standing Kirara, bow still strung as tightly as her nerves. "I said stop staring at me!"

It was then that the dreaded Lord of the West was treated to the very thing he found so fascinating about Kagome. Her power, in the form of iridescent light, danced around her body in reaction to her anger and alarm. Part of it flowed into the arrow aimed at his heart. The waves of energy were intense enough to be almost palpable to him. Between the mystic energies and Kagome's current state of undress, he was transfixed.

Logic dictated that Sesshomaru should have felt at least a little concern for his wellbeing. His senses told him that the kind of spiritual energy Kagome was giving off just might be strong enough to, if not purify him into his next incarnation, to at least burn him very badly. Oddly, though, he appeared unperturbed. That's because the erotic display of power was sending most of Sesshomaru's blood rushing to the wrong head. It made thinking, rational or any other kind, difficult for the moment.

Another common misconception was that Sesshomaru had no emotions. He did have emotions; lots of emotions as a matter of fact, lust being in the forefront for the moment.

Happily, once the young Sesshomaru had hit the equivalent of youkai puberty, his father had seen to it that his son mastered the discipline of masking his emotions from others. So while his brain danced in chaotic circles of carnal desire, Sesshomaru remained outwardly calm.

"How long were you up there?" Kagome asked, outraged. "And just what did you think you were doing?"

"This Sesshomaru does not explain himself to anyone." The Taiyoukai gave the two women a cool glance and then turned to walk off in the mysterious yet elegant fashion he had perfected. At least she hadn't noticed the tent in his hakama, Sesshomaru thought. Kami but he needed a bath in an ice-cold stream.

Kagome grabbed her clothes and was hurriedly stuffing herself into them. She'd taken to wearing the traditional red and white garb of a Miko. It was comfortable and easy to move around in. Besides, Kagome had decided that having an un-dead woman dictate what you did and did not wear was down-right crazy. The only nod to the 21st century was her socks and Reebok sneakers. The traditional tabi socks and zori sandals made her toes cramp.

"Oh no, you don't Sesshomaru! You are not leaving here until I find out what you were doing in that tree!"

Sango slowly let her guard and the blade, down. "Kagome, maybe we should let him go. It's not as if we're ready for a protracted fight," she looked around for her clothes. One of the first lessons her father had taught her was both simple and logical. There were times to fight and there were times when it was best not to. Since getting into it with a Taiyoukai while wearing just a towel was suicidal, Sango was more than willing to let this incident pass by without bloodshed.

While Sango may have known better, Kagome was too angry to think as clearly. She'd shoved the first, then second sneaker onto her sock clad feet and started stomping after Sesshomaru.

"Hey, don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you! Were you following us? Because if you were…" That was as far as Kagome got, literally.

Tripping over the untied laces she went down in a tangle of arms and legs. Unfortunately, probably because of her agitated state, her power was still running on high. During her summersault the energy at last found a partial outlet. One of the sneakers, charged a glowing violet, seemed to rocket off her foot and make a bee-line for Sesshomaru.

The Lord of the Western Lands stopped abruptly when he felt the Reebok running shoe slam into his lordly derrière, leaving a scorched imprint on his silk hakama. Any lingering lust faded away in an instant. The prudent thing to do would have been to ignore it and continue walking.

Unfortunately, Sesshomaru's pride tended to run as hotly as his libido.

With deliberate care he leaned over to gingerly retrieve the soft shoe and then steadfastly stalked towards his accidental assailant. Sesshomaru towered over the Miko who still lay on the ground. Holding the sneaker by its laces and between two claws, he let it dangle above Kagome's head for her inspection.

"I believe this is yours."

Kagome absently wondered how big a bruise the sneaker would leave on her face when the Taiyoukai let it drop. "Oh, so it is. I didn't mean to hit you with it, Sesshomaru-sama," Kagome added the honorific, hoping a proper show of deference would help to defuse the anger she could clearly see on the White Prince of the West's face. "It just sort of… happened. Besides, you still haven't explained what you were doing in that tree."

"Sesshomaru-sama!"

Normally, Sesshomaru inwardly winced whenever he heard the voice of his toad-like retainer. The creature was utterly devoted to him, but the Taiyoukai occasionally found that loyalty suffocating. Nevertheless, the voice was a surprising relief to hear. It might help to extricate Sesshomaru from his current situation. With any luck there was a crisis in the Western lands that needed his immediate attention. He silently mused that an earthquake or flood would come in handy right about now.

"Jaken, why have you followed me here?" he asked, still holding the sneaker by its laces.

Waddling at maximum speed, the kappa youkai had a wide smile on his green, weathered, little face. "Your loyal servant has come to bring you the happiest of news, my Lord!"

Jaken gave a wide sweep with his tiny arms. "Granted the agreement between your revered father and Kenji-sama isn't truly formal, but the Lord has brought you his youngest daughter to take as Mate!"

In back of the reptilian retainer came a pair of youkai that Sesshomaru immediately recognized as the stately Lord Kenji and his graceful Lady. The third figure was only now moving out of the shadows of the woodlands and into the light. What he saw made his heart freeze in his chest.

The daughter of the Lord of the South was cross-eyed. There was also a disturbing kink in her tail. It swayed back and forth, causing the female to bob her head as she walked. It was when she opened her mouth to speak that Sesshomaru truly realized the peril he was in.

"Oh, Sesshomaru!" called the female as she waved at him.

Kami, Sesshomaru thought, the demoness was possessed of a grating, nasally voice that could peel the lacquer right off of furniture at twenty paces.

"Sesshomaru," she continued, in that screeching voice, "I want pearls as my first courtship gift! Did you hear me? I want pearls!"

Still lying on her back, Kagome gently tapped the Inuyoukai's ankle with her finger. "Excuse me but if you're finished playing with it, may I please have my sneaker back?"

The Taiyoukai looked down at the young woman and then glanced at his rapidly approaching intended "Mate." If nothing else, Sesshomaru was very good at thinking on his feet. He could not have lived so long, fighting to protect and hold the Western Lands without becoming a master strategist. Granted, the idea that popped into his head wasn't the best plan he'd ever come up with, but it'd have to do in a pinch.

He tossed the shoe high into the air and before it had even started to fall back to earth, the Taiyoukai swept Kagome up and onto her feet. Kagome gave him a startled look, mouth gaping open in surprise as she found herself suddenly upright.

"I regret that I may not have the honor of taking your daughter to Mate, Kenji-sama." He deftly caught the sneaker and, going to one knee, offered it up to the Miko like Prince Charming to Cinderella.

"This Sesshomaru is currently pursuing someone of great power and prestige. I hereby proclaim my intent to pay court to the Shikon no Miko, the Lady Kagome!"

**ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo**

And now, the Haiku for this chapter:

_Kagome now sends_

_Byakuya's butt to hell_

_Sesshomaru smiles_

In two weeks: Chapter Two – "The First Date."


	2. Chapter 2

**Standard Disclaimer: And now, a short poem**

**Inuyasha and friends I don't own.**

**But all lawyers please leave me alone.**

**Don't take me to court**

'**cause my cash flow is short**

**and you just can't get blood from a stone.**

Thank you to ElegantPaws for taking the time to look this chapter over for me. If you haven't read her wonderful story, "This Sesshomaru Needs Not a Mate," then you're missing a treat!

One of the misconceptions about Sesshomaru and his ilk (including Inuyasha, whether Sesshomaru cares to admit it or not) is the meaning of the word "youkai." Youkai are not demons in the western sense of the word. They are not messengers of hell determined to bring about the ruin of human souls. The Japanese word "youkai" translates more precisely to mean a creature of magic, much in the same way we think of elves or trolls. Youkai can be good or evil it's up to them, not predestined by their nature. My own particular view is that because youkai have animal forms, they retain much of their primal instincts and ferocity, even when they walk on two feet.

This is Sesshomaru/Kagome tale is rated "R" for bad language and the occasional sexual innuendo. Please remember that writers only grow through feedback so, if you would kindly leave a review, I'd be very grateful. I can also be contacted at All mail is answered, even flames!

"The Courtship of Lady Kagome"

By Meara

Chapter Two – "The First Date"

Kagome glanced down at the sneaker that Sesshomaru proffered so gallantly and then back up at the Taiyoukai. Looking into his golden eyes, and getting no help at all from his neutral gaze, Kagome thought that this was a very strange time for Sesshomaru to acquire a sense of humor. What was he up to, anyway?

"What did you just say?" she said, not willing to believe that she'd heard him correctly. Kagome had a hard time believing that the Taiyoukai had suddenly developed a passion for her very human body. What was he up to?

The Lord of the Western Lands remained motionless, waiting patiently for Kagome to do what he knew she must. One of the things Sesshomaru prided himself on was his ability to control a situation by knowing his opponent. It was very unlikely that the Miko would be able to go bounding about the countryside in only one shoe. She needed the odd piece of footwear he held in his clawed hand and he knew it.

Slowly, and with the greatest caution, Kagome moved to take the sneaker from Sesshomaru. Her eyebrows furrowed together when the faintest hint of a smile played across the lips of the White Prince of the West. That slight smile had been quite smug; as if Kagome was part of some grand game being played by Sesshomaru.

With practiced grace, Sesshomaru rose to his feet, bowed to her then turned to face Jaken and his guests. "In accordance with tradition, my petition has been accepted. I shall begin my courtship of the Lady Kagome." The Taiyoukai was very pleased with himself; of course his superior intellect had come up with a workable plan. Happily, his iron discipline kept any of it from showing on his face.

"What did you just say?" Kagome could have slapped herself for repeating the phrase yet again, but she had the uneasy feeling events had just spun merrily out of her control. She realized that her mouth was open and, still holding the sneaker in one hand, snapped her jaw shut.

The White prince of the West stopped and slowly turned to face Kagome. "You took the token from my hand, and thus have accepted my request to court you. In three days time this Sesshomaru shall return at sundown, so that it may begin," then turned and paced away from her without a backwards glance.

Sango came to stand beside Kagome, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Let him go for now, Kagome. You need to find out what's going on before you take any action. Perhaps Kaede will be able to answer some of your questions."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"I am going to kill that fucking asshole!"

All in all, Inuyasha was taking the news about the way Kagome had expected him to. While she may have briefly agreed with the sentiment, there were better ways of expressing it.

"Inuyasha, put a lid on the potty mouth!" Kagome clamped her hands over Shippo's ears. With Inuyasha as ticked off as he was, any hint of restrain on his foul language went out the window, along with what was left of her sanity, Kagome thought unhappily.

"Please continue, Kaede-sama," she said politely to the elderly Miko next to her.

"It would seem, child, that Lord Sesshomaru has expressed an interest in taking you as his Mate," Kaede repeated. "His actions reflect an overture to courting in Taiyoukai traditions."

"So what does that mean?" Kagome asked.

"It means he likes you a lot, Kagome-chan," Shippo chimed in, his face a study in practiced innocence. "And since you don't have anyone who told you that he wants you to become his Mate," the young kitsune glanced at the still fuming Inuyasha, "Lord Sesshomaru has the right to court you.

Kaede stroked her chin for a moment, "If my memory is correct Sesshomaru-sama will expect to spend an evening with you, to discuss his plans for the future. Males and females of high station tend to be carefully segregated while young. This time together is intended to let them get to know each other better."

"He wants to take me out on a date?" Wonderful, Kagome mused silently. She had a date with a demon whose name meant, "The Killing Perfection." How much worse could this situation get?

"The only part of you Sesshomaru wants to get to know better is in your pants," Inuyasha snorted.

"I am not in the mood for this, Inuyasha," Kagome glared at him, gritting out the words between clenched teeth.

Miroku finally spoke up. He'd picked up a fair amount of esoteric knowledge in his years of traveling and was happy to be able to use it. "Keade-sama, if I remember correctly Kagome is allowed to have a male member of her family with her to guard her virtue while with Sesshomaru on this outing."

"I'll do it!" Inuyasha all but shouted. An evil grin came to his lips as a hand strayed to the hilt of Tetsusaiga. "Keh, if that bastard tries anything I'll cut off something a hell of a lot more important to him than his arm."

"I'm sorry but the male guardian cannot be related to Sesshomaru," the monk looked directly at Inuyasha. "You can't be the one because you're his half-brother."

The hanyou folded his arms in an annoyed fashion. "Don't remind me."

"Since you have no male relatives in this time, Kagome, I'll be your guardian," Miroku said. He settled himself into a comfortable sitting position on the ground.

"You?" Sango asked with wide eyes. "You, the man who asks every woman he comes across to bear his child? You want to be the one who guards Kagome-chan's virtue?"

The Monk shrugged calmly, "If you want to know how to keep the chickens safe, who better to ask than the fox?"

A resigned sigh came from Kagome. "Sesshomaru is up to something. Maybe this 'date' will give me a chance to try and figure out just what that something is."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

"You truly wish to court and take to Mate not just a human but a Miko, Sesshomaru?"

If the question had come from anyone other than the Lord of the South, Sesshomaru would have eviscerated him on the spot. Kenji had been one of his late father's true friends and that earned him more than a little leeway from the normally short tempered inuyoukai. Besides, the blood would never come out of the carpet.

"Indeed," Sesshomaru answered, taking a short sip of the sake in his eggshell thin, porcelain bowl. He'd come up with this plan to avoid being forced to take to Mate the cross-eye, crow voiced daughter of the Southern Lord only a few hours ago. The less he discussed it, until he had more to time fully think it through, the better.

The White Prince of the West had hoped that Lord Kenji's well known love of good sake would have helped to forestall this conversation. How anyone could down four, large jars of sake and not only remain sitting upright but actually be able to carry on a coherent conversation was a wonder to him. The Lord of the South was indeed a formidable creature.

Sakura, Lady of the South, waited patiently slightly behind and to the right of her Mate. She had insisted on serving both her Lord and Sesshomaru in thanks for his hospitality. The truth was that Sakura was not about to let the matter of Sesshomaru taking her daughter to Mate go and hoped to guide the conversation in that direction.

"The off-spring would be hanyou, my Lord," Sakura said softly. "I understand that you keep a human child as a pet, my Lord. Your tolerance of them is generous. There are, however, proprieties to be considered for one of your high station in life. Surely you could not wish your heir to have ningen blood?"

With great care Sesshomaru placed his thin, porcelain bowl on the low table at which he sat, never spilling a drop of the sake it held. "Rin is not a pet," he said with quiet menace. "She is under my protection and will be treated with respect in my house."

Sakura had the good manners to blanch. She went to her knees and gracefully prostrated herself before the Western Lord. "I apologize for any offence, Lord Sesshomaru."

"Hn," the White Prince took up his bowl and continued to drink. While soft spoken and painstakingly polite, Sakura was the one who wore the hakamas in that family, he realized. It was something of a pity that Sakura had been born female, he thought. Any male with her strategic talents would have made a fine General in his army.

Sesshomaru had to wonder why it was that females, despite their lack of official status in youkai society, seemed to quietly rule their Mates. If he ever did take a Mate, Sesshomaru would most assuredly _never_ allow that to happen to him. How hard could it be to keep a mere female in line, anyway?

"The Lady Kagome is much more than a simple human. She is the Shikon-no-Miko and as such, a being of great power. My pups would inherit that strength and be immune to the attacks of both Miko and Houshi alike. Combined with the bloodline of the Inu no Taisho, they would be the most powerful in all the four lands." Sesshomaru was quite pleased with his answer. Then again, he chided himself, he was Sesshomaru, Lord of the West and shouldn't be surprised at his own innate mental superiority. "Is not power the first thing one looks for in a Mate?"

"Not always, Sesshomaru. Mating for power alone can make for a cold bed and an even colder life," Kenji said, savoring the last of the liquid held in the bowl between his hands. Kami, he missed having regular access to the sake cellar at the House of the Moon. It was a pity he was leaving in the morning but knowing his Mate's fervent desire to have Sesshomaru as a son-in-law, the sooner they left for home the better.

Sakura gracefully came to her Lord's side and poured him more sake. "Do not trouble yourself over such things, Sesshomaru-sama. The autumnal gathering of the Youkai Court is in a few weeks. If your courtship of Lady Kagome does not proceed as you wish, the gathering of the Court will give you the opportunity to meet others. Did my Lord Kenji mention that our daughter, Miyuki, will be joining us there this year?"

"Yes, I did. Several times as a matter of fact," said the Southern Lord as he gave his Mate a look that plainly told her to drop the subject.

"So, it is settled then," Sakura smiled, blithely ignoring him. "We shall either meet your Lady Kagome when you bring her to the Court, or if your interest in the Shikon-no-Miko has ended, My Lord Kenji will allow you the privilege of courting Miyuki."

In that moment Sesshomaru knew that he would prefer to carve out his own liver using Toukijin rather than accept the fate Sakura had planned for him. His original plan had been to meet with the Miko once and end it there. Sesshomaru quickly came up with an alternative that would suit his needs quite nicely.

The White Prince calmed himself with the supreme self assurance that he was a master tactician. A small change in plans was something he would overcome without undue stress. He'd been dodging any kind of lasting relationship (and the political and/or dynastic entanglements that could result) with females since he discovered the delightful differences between the sexes at puberty.

After all, he was Sesshomaru, son of the Great Dog Demon, the most powerful Taiyoukai alive. If the courting rituals had to be played out with the Miko a little longer, there was no real cause for concern. What female, even a human one, wouldn't appreciate his attentions?

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The last three days had been hell on Kagome. She had fretted herself almost into exhaustion. Although Kaede and Miroku had done their best to give her as much information as possible, she was still left withr too many questions and far too few answers. Desperately needed sleep eluded the Miko as questions ran endlessly in her mind like a hamster trapped on an exercise wheel.

Why was Sesshomaru doing this? What did he expect of her? Did youkai kiss on the first date?

Inuyasha spent a fair amount of that time stomping around, occasionally shouting nasty invectives ("I'm gonna kill that smug bastard" being his favorite phrase). It didn't help that Shippo seemed to take endless delight in teasing the hanyou about the situation. Inuyasha, at last, retreated to his forest. He would mutter darkly to himself while whacking away at any nearby greenery with his claws; seeming to take a perverse joy in slowly defoliating the woods.

Frazzled, worried and worn down to her last nerve, even the simplest of things, such as what to wear, ballooned out of proportion. If she went home and got something that would be appropriate for a date _there_, the outfit would likely be considered an invitation to seduction _here_. Happily it was Kaede who finally helped to settle the young woman.

"Ye are a Miko, are ye not? Then be what ye are. If this surprises Lord Sesshomaru, then he has not half of the intelligence I have credited him with," she said with a soft smile.

After dressing in her best traditional miko outfit, brand new and freshly washed from the future, Kagome waited with increasing dread for sunset on the appointed day. The fuller, traditional pants a priestess normally wore would make it much easier to run if she had to. Sango had been kind enough to lend her two, butterfly shaped hair pins. They were actually small, thin but extremely sharp daggers. Tying her hair back in the traditional manner, she carefully tucked them into her ebony tresses. Kagome couldn't shake the idea that wearing weapons on the first date did not bode well for a happy relationship.

The sky was beginning to show hints of pink and orange, signaling a lovely sunset, when Sesshomaru stepped from the forest and into view. Kagome, who had been nervously pacing back and forth in front of Kaede's hut, finally stopped moving in order to get a good look at the White Prince of the West. She wanted to be angry, or at the very least annoyed with him for what he was putting her through, when an odd thing happened.

The anger faded away as Kagome just stood and watched Sesshomaru. He moved with the unconscious, rolling grace of an apex predator. He was haloed by the muted colors of the coming dusk; his silver gilt hair lifted slightly in the evening breeze. The white, silk clothing that was his trademark hinted at a muscled body when a wisp of wind would make it cling to him for an instant.

"Wow," Kagome was surprised at the words that tumbled from her mouth. "Who knew that Sesshomaru could be so hot?"

In a moment of insight the attraction "bad boys" had for her friends at school became crystal clear. The Inuyoukai practically radiated danger and sex: not necessarily in that order. Her clever imagination immediately conjured up a detailed, mental picture of the muscled body that must lie beneath the trappings of Sesshomaru's noble heritage. It made a primeval part of Kagome want to melt into a puddle of aroused goo. The young woman had to remind herself that she was supposed to be angry with Sesshomaru.

"Actually, this Sesshomaru finds the weather balmy," replied the Taiyoukai as he stepped into speaking range.

Happily, for Kagome, the Taiyoukai's extensive education didn't include idioms from the future. Still, Kagome was pleased that she managed to keep the mortification she was feeling from her voice. The hearing in those pointy ears of his was even sharper than Inuyasha's.

"Oh good," she said sarcastically as Sesshomaru strolled up to her, "Because I have about a million questions I want to ask you."."

Miroku, who had been standing a discreet distance from Kagome, cleared his throat loudly. He bowed to the White Prince, "Good evening, Lord Sesshomaru. I am Miroku and in accordance with tradition, I will be acting as Lady Kagome's male guardian this evening."

Sesshomaru gave the Monk an icy look. "This Sesshomaru is not some hanyou or stripling ookami youkai. You may be assured that I will not carry the Miko off."

"I mean no insult, Lord Sesshomaru but I did promise Lady Kagome that I would be here for this first meeting between you two. While I do not intend to hover," Miroku continued, his staff suddenly flashing up and in between Kagome and Sesshomaru, "I do request that you remember to always leave room between you in honor of the divine modesty of the Kami." With that Miroku turned, moving away until he was just far enough to be out of ear-shot.

"No doubt, you have questions," Sesshomaru said, starting to walk away without checking to see if Kagome was following him. He moved to a large, downed tree branch, motioning imperiously for her to join him. "Sit and I will enlighten you."

All the stress of the last three days overtook Kagome as she sat and listened to the Taiyoukai blithely tick off what he wanted from her. From the moment he fell out of that tree by the pond, Kagome had the nagging suspicion that Sesshomaru's sudden interest in her was probably trouble. It appeared that her apprehension was well founded.

"What did you just say?" Kagome blinked hard. She tilted her head up at Sesshomaru, unable to believe what her ears were telling her. It seemed to her that she was using this phrase a lot lately.

The White Prince of the West arched an elegant eyebrow. "Is your hearing deficient, Miko? I said that you will allow this Sesshomaru to court you until after I have taken you to the autumnal gathering of the Great Youkai Council. After that all ties will be broken and I will return to the Western Lands alone. Was my volume sufficient or shall I raise my voice yet again?"

The Curse of the Higurashi Bloodline, her mother had once explained to Kagome, was that their 'pause button' (that little switch in your brain that keeps you from blurting out the first thing you thought of) didn't work properly until somewhere around middle-age. Unfortunately for Kagome, "The Curse" was in full flower tonight.

"Geez, Sesshomaru, you make the whole, I'll-use-Kagome-for-my-own-purposes thing sounds so very attractive." The absurdity of the situation was just too much and Kagome began to laugh. "As odd as it may seem to you, I have a life; one that does not revolve around your needs. I guess I'll just have to pass up your gracious invitation to be manipulated then dumped."

The White Prince continued on as if she hadn't spoken. The only clue that he'd heard her was an arched, silver eyebrow. "You will, of course, be compensated for your participation by gifts and the honor this Sesshomaru pays you by his attention," he said in an even voice.

"Did you just say 'compensate,' as in paying me to pretend to be your lover?" The laughter stopped, her voice taking on a more than slightly annoyed note. "I am not for sale."

"The arrangement is only temporary," replied Sesshomaru.

"And I'm not for rent, either. Find someone else to 'honor' with your attentions," Kagome shot back. "The whole idea is crazy, anyway. No one would ever believe that you were seriously interested in me. The last time I checked I was still a 'lowly,' human woman. "

"You are the Shikon-no-Miko," the White Prince of the West replied as if explaining a simple fact to an idiot child, "A being of great, mystic power. You can't deny that you continue to attract the attention of other, albeit lesser, youkai."

Kagome gave him a withering look. "You mean the ones that usually want to kill me and take the Shikon-no-Tama? Yup, I've notice them, all right."

The Lord of the West sat up even straighter, pulling himself up to his full, and quite impressive, height Kagome noted as she craned her head to meet his eyes. Even with only one arm and that weird, white, furry, metro-sexual, boa-thingy Sesshomaru perpetually wore over one shoulder, he still managed to look regal and was easily the most virile male she'd ever met.

"You need have no fear, Miko. Since I proclaimed my intent to court you, you are now under the protection of this Sesshomaru. You have, on occasion, managed to adequately protect yourself, as you did with Byakuya. On the whole, though, you lack control and discipline."

Kagome had been about to thank him for his back handed compliment when a thought occurred to her. "How do you know about what happened with Byakuya? For that matter, how do you know about my 'lack of control'?" The memory of Sesshomaru's abrupt exit from the willow tree came back to her. A lot of things suddenly made sense.

"You've been following me?!" Along with a sense of outrage, power began to build in Kagome. She could feel it, like static electricity, just underneath her skin.

He was right about her lack of control, she was unhappy to realize. The young woman couldn't quite get her magic to obey her will and lay down like a good puppy. Any leakage of it would only make the Taiyoukai angry and Kagome was dead sure that making Sesshomaru angry was not a good thing. It would mean an abrupt, unhappy ending to not only this first date, but probably what little would be left of her life.

"I have been observing you, of course," he said in his best, Lord of the Western Lands, do-you-dare-to-question-my-motives voice. "This Sesshomaru must be sure that any potential mate would be suitable for someone of my high station."

The conversation wasn't going at all the way he'd thought it would, the Taiyoukai grumbled mentally. Any other female would be nearly fainting with rapture at the thought of his nearness. The spike in her energies indicated that the Miko was most definitely more annoyed than aroused at the moment. How could a single human be so unpredictable?

Trying to calm herself was not an easy task for Kagome. "Look, there are so many reasons why you and I would never be able to have a relationship." She paused, trying to phrase her words carefully, "Let's just say that we're from two different worlds and leave it at that."

Little did Kagome know that the Lord of the Western Lands couldn't 'leave it at that' once his interest had been properly aroused. Sesshomaru had long ago learned to quell dissention from a subordinate with a glance. The Miko beside him was favored with _the look _and a single utterance that spoke volumes, "Hnnn."

"Fine," said Kagome throwing up her hands at his condescending tone. She thrust her arm at the surprised Inuyokai. "You need proof? Here! Touch my sleeve and smell it!" she ordered.

Sesshomaru bristled at first. No one gave orders to the Lord of the Western Lands, certainly not a ningen Miko half his size. Still, the fabric beneath Sesshomaru's fingers was unlike any other he'd ever encountered. Unable to restrain his curiosity, he ran his hand up and down Kagome's arm. He raised an eyebrow when she shivered delightfully as his fingertips, testing the edges of her sleeve, ran lightly across the back of her hand. Leaning slightly forward the Taiyoukai sniffed the fabric gently. Golden eyes flickered towards the Miko, restrained confusion in them.

"The scent is called 'Mountain Spring Tide. It's a laundry detergent," said Kagome. She allowed herself a sly, half smile, "And the shirt is made from an artificial fabric called 'rayon.' I'm willing to bet that you've never run across anything like it before, ne?"

"Rrr…rayon," the Taiyoukai said, a low rumble escaping him as he repeated the unfamiliar name. "It is similar to silk, yet definitely not silk." Taking Kagome's hand in his once more, he raised her arm, tilting his head to peer more closely at the material.

"Modesty of the Kami!" the Houshi shouted the reminder from his vantage point, several hundred yards away. It was Miroku's experience that nothing cooled ardor faster than an audience. Well, he hastily amended mentally, that and a swift whack to the head.

"There is more for us to speak of than can be accomplished in a single evening," Sesshomaru said solemnly, releasing Kagome's hand but not too quickly, lest the Monk think that the Lord of the Western Lands could be intimidated by a mere ningen.

He had not missed how the Miko's heartbeat accelerated at his touch but was more surprised by his own reaction. Sesshomaru found that he enjoyed her soft sigh and the way the skin on her hand felt under his fingers. And the fabric - what kind of magic had produced it?

The puzzle that was Higurashi Kagome had just gotten more complicated. The Miko was much more than even his vast intellect had surmised. There were secrets here; ones that hinted at a kind of power hereto unknown.

"Collect what you need and be ready. Tomorrow I shall send an escort to bring you to my home where we shall dine and further this discussion of our 'different' worlds," the White Prince pronounced, in an imperious tone.

"You want me to come to your place to have dinner?" she said, hands going to her hips. "I'm not going to some strange man's… excuse me… some strange youkai's place on the second date! What kind of girl do you think I am, anyway?"

The Taiyoukai stood up, towering over the young woman. Golden eyes narrowed at her. He was not used to being denied. Normally, his first reaction to dissention was to eviscerate the offender but quickly decided that such an action would be counter-productive at this point.

"This Sesshomaru will allow you to bring whatever escort you deem necessary to preserve your virtue but you _will_ come, Miko."

It was instinct, and a stubborn streak that would get her seriously hurt someday, that made Kagome also rise to face the White Prince of the West. "I'm still not going to pretend to date you, Sesshomaru," she said, craning her neck to look into his eyes.

Unfortunately, that was her undoing. Kagome found her gaze fixed on Sesshomaru's vivid, amber eyes. That primeval, puddle of aroused goo feeling from earlier once again reared its ugly head, despite the fact that Kagome knew that it was dangerous to be attracted to the incredibly handsome, bad-boy in front of her.

Not too long ago she had liked well mannered, well meaning, safe and nice boys, such as Houjo _Gods_, Kagome thought with regret, _I think being around Inuyasha has gotten me hooked on not-so-safe and nice guys. Why can't Sesshomaru be ugly? This would be much easier if he had acne or a nasty over-bite._

Why was the Miko looking at him that way, Sesshomaru wondered, and what exactly was a 'date'? Oh well, the answers would have to wait as his concentration was currently on other matters. One of the drawback of having superior, youkai senses was that he was getting a snout full of the various, exotic odors that enveloped the Miko. His clever mind was busily attempting to sort them out, though he had to add a couple of new categories; laundry detergent being at the top of the list. He breathed deeply again, noticing that a new and delicious scent was now coming from the young woman.

If the addition of her burgeoning desire wasn't erotic enough, Sesshomaru could feel her power dancing around the edges of his own, very potent magic. The two, oddly enough, didn't repel each other but instead seemed ready to merge into a greater whole. That surprise only added fuel to the raging arousal he could feel rising. It was time to end this evening right now; before he did something he wouldn't necessarily regret later but would, no doubt, cause him some very annoying problems that he'd just as soon avoid.

"Expect my entourage on the morrow," Sesshomaru said as he turned and walked away from her.

"But I said I'm not going to pretend to date you," she mumbled half-heartedly.

He glanced over his shoulder as he walked decorously away. "I shall await your arrival at my home with much anticipation, Lady Kagome."

"But, but I'm… not…" she tilted her head slightly, still feeling the futile need to protest but also admiring his physique. _Wow,_ Kagome mused, _He looks as good going as he does coming._

With a slap to the forehead, Kagome reminded herself exactly who she was thinking lustful thoughts about. The rational part of her knew that it was insane to even contemplate spending anymore time with him. Granted, he had come a long way over the years but this was still Sesshomaru; the pain-in-the-ass, oh-so-superior, Lord of the Western Lands who had tried to kill her the first time they met.

As she thought about it, though, it _had_ been a while since the White Prince had threatened to kill her or kill Inuyasha or kill any of her friends; something he used to do routinely every time they crossed paths. It was then that she realized that he had actually used her name, Kagome (not "Miko," "wench" "human" or "woman"), when he said goodbye.

Was it possible that there was more to Sesshomaru than a cool exterior and a really nice butt?

"That went well," said Miroku, coming to stand beside her.

"If by 'well' you mean that there was no bloodshed, then, yes, I guess it did."

"Am I also correct in assuming, according to what I heard Sesshomaru say as he left, that you two will be getting together again in the near future?"

Kagome sighed unhappily, "I kept telling him that I won't go out with him but Sesshomaru doesn't seem to understand the meaning of the word 'no'. He's sending some of his people tomorrow to escort me to his home."

Miroku looked surprised, "Just you?"

Kagome opened her mouth to answer but stopped as she remembered Sesshomaru's exact wording. The Miko gave a small, sly chuckle. She wondered how Sesshomaru was going to like being hoisted on his own petard. While not exactly sure what a "petard" was, it sounded painful. Now _that_ was definitely worth seeing.

"No, I get to bring 'whatever escort I deem necessary' to preserve my virtue. So Miroku, do you think that Sango can do without you for a few days?"

As a man who was used to conning his way into any well appointed country home he came across when traveling, the Houshi was not about to pass up the opportunity to sample the luxuries at the grand shiro of the West. "I'll be ready to go at first light," he replied happily. "I'll tell Sango and Shippo that you and I are going on a short trip. Ah, the sacrifices I make to guard a Lady's virtue…"

Kagome watched her friend disappear into the shadows and gave a long sigh. She looked up at the stars, once again marveling at how brilliant the night sky was in this era, while her mind turned the evening's event over and over. Once upon a time, when she was younger, Kagome's favorite movie had been Disney's "Snow White." Just like the heroine in the animated story, she dreamed that Prince Charming would sweep her off her feet. She'd find true love and then live happily ever after. While she still believed in true love, she was annoyed that the Prince whose attention she'd attracted turned out to be a demon. A demon with a really nice butt, but a demon nevertheless. Life was so unfair, sometimes.

"So, you're really going to Sesshomaru's castle?" came a voice from in back of her.

The young woman turned to see Inuyasha walk out the forest and towards her. She absently wondered how long he'd been there. It had been a very strange evening thus far and Kagome found that her patience in dealing with recalcitrant, male youkai had run out. _It's official,_ Kagome thought. _My life sucks._

"Inuyasha, I really don't want to argue with you about this. I've got to go and that's final," she said. Her fingers moved to rub her temples gently. She could feel a headache coming on.

The Hanyou crossed his arms. "I know. I'm gonna go with you."

"I said I'm going and that's…" her voice trailed off in confusion as she repeated, yet again, the phrase that seemed to define her life as of late. "What did you just say?"

Inuyasha gave her a wicked grin. "I'm going with you. Keh, did you really think I'd let you face Lord-Stick-Up-His-Ass all by yourself? Kagome, trouble always seems to find you, no matter where you go. I am not about to leave your safety to that prissy bastard."

While he didn't believe that Sesshomaru was capable of the emotion, it was all too easy for Inuyasha to understand why someone could fall in love with Kagome. Hell, _he_ was in love with her in a weird and very complicated way. Inuyasha had been with Kagome almost every day, more or less, for the past three years and he still couldn't sort out his feelings for her. If he was still mixed up about the nature of true love then, in the hanyou's opinion, a stone-head like Sesshomaru didn't stand a chance.

"You are the best!" the Miko replied, giving him a quick hug. Looping her arm through his, they began to walk towards the village together.

The Hanyou really enjoyed how she felt against him, so warm and alive. "There's one condition, though. If Lord Baka gets out of line, I get first dibs on slicing him up."

"And here I was so looking forward to purifying Sesshomaru, if necessary," Kagome laughed.

"Too bad, Wench," said Inuyasha as the shadows of the evening enveloped them. "Sometimes you can't get everything you want outta life."

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Once he was sure that the Miko could no longer see him, the Taiyoukai decided to fly home and called up his mystic cloud. While there was a certain, primal joy to running across hill and dale, the White Prince of the West wanted time to think. He had long ago made the unhappy discovery that being distracted while running at full speed through dense woods drastically increased his chances of plowing into a tree. Not only was it undignified but it hurt like hell trying to get all the splinters out.

The memory of the scent, (what had she called it? Oh yes, "Mountain Spring Tide") that clung to the Miko haunted him. While Sesshomaru loved puzzles, he hated it when he stopped being the one who solved the riddle and, instead, was inexplicably stuck in the middle of it.

How had things gotten out of control so quickly? He was Sesshomaru, Lord of the Western Lands, son of the great Inu-no-Taisho. The White Prince was a Taiyoukai, an obviously superior being. How could one, tiny, ningen, female, no matter how good she smelled, confound him so? He suddenly wondered if his plan to display her as his "intended" Mate at the autumnal gathering of the great Youkai Council was such a good idea, after all.

Giving it proper reflection, Sesshomaru decided to stay the course and continue his well thought-out scheme. All his master-plan needed was some minor reworking. The Miko, though highly unusual, was only human. In due time and with some careful study (an evening or two at most), he would be able to solve the puzzle that was Kagome. Once the puzzle was solved he was sure that any physical attraction to her would wane and he would, yet again, be in total control of the situation.

If Sesshomaru's ego had been smaller he might have saved himself a great deal of trouble. Unfortunately, he had two, very large, blind spots. One was that he refused to see Inuyasha as anything other than an annoying, undisciplined half-breed. The other was the deep-seated belief that there was no challenge that he, Lord Sesshomaru, was not capable of surmounting.

One of the first things his revered father had taught the young Prince of the West was actually quite simple. Any long term war plans tended to be useless after the first engagement with the enemy. Sesshomaru knew he had to adjust his strategy. What he failed to understand was that he was facing an "opponent" unlike anyone in his experience. Higurashi Kagome was a warrior of the heart and soul and an invincible one, at that.

So, as he continued on his way to the Western shiro, Sesshomaru had no idea that his carefully ordered world was about to come crashing down around his pointy, aristocratic ears.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

And now, the Haiku for this chapter:

Sesshomaru is

hooked on a puzzle that smells

like Mountain Spring Tide

In two weeks – "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?"

Thanks to everyone who reviewed! I am deeply honored that you choose to spend your precious, spare time on my story.


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